The "troublesome thing" of the factory became a product June 20, 18:12
Camping is so popular that many manufacturers are embarking on the development of camping equipment.
From Ehime, a manufacturer that makes specialty towels commercialized a certain item and became a hot topic among campers.
What I noticed was the "troublesome things" that had been discarded at the factory.
(Matsuyama Broadcasting Station Cameraman Atsushi Iwasaki)
Japan's number one towel producing area
Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture, facing the Seto Inland Sea.
With a production volume of over 10,000 tons in 2019, it is the number one towel producing area in Japan.
There are nearly 200 related factories in the city, including a towel weaving factory, a thread processing factory, and a dyeing factory.
Due to the influence of the new corona, the production volume in 2021 decreased to 8,000 tons, but the national market share is 57%, overwhelming other production areas.
This time, I interviewed a towel dyeing company that was founded 68 years ago.
This company dyes towels in various colors and processes them to give them a texture.
In recent years, environmental measures have become an issue in the towel industry as well.
Factories require large amounts of energy, such as water and electricity, to run machines and dye fibers.
This company has also promoted environmentally friendly efforts such as covering pipes with heat insulating material and introducing machines with high power efficiency to save energy.
That "troublesome thing" cotton dust ...
This is Tomoya Fukuoka, who is in charge of product development at a dyeing company.
He was aiming for sustainable product development, but one day he noticed something in the factory.
It is "cotton dust" that was piled up in a corner of the factory.
Dyeing factories dry dyed towels in a huge dryer, but using the machine for a day produces 240 liters of cotton dust.
Dust sticks tightly to the filter, and it is essential to clean it about 5 times daily for energy saving and fire protection measures.
Is it possible to reuse the cotton dust that had to be discarded?
Mr. Fukuoka, who has a hobby of camping, came up with the idea of using it as an "ignition agent" to ignite a bonfire.
Mr. Fukuoka
"I knew from before that it was easy to catch fire. However, I didn't know how to burn it, so in order to commercialize it, how many times the burning time changes depending on the amount of dust, etc. I also observed. "
To sell "colorfulness"
Mr. Fukuoka repeated the experiment and was convinced of its practicality.
However, the original is just dust.
Simply commercializing it as it is will not catch the eye of consumers.
Therefore, I focused on the "color" unique to dyeing factories.
There is as much dust as the color of the towel in this factory, which says "you can make any color you like".
The dust on the dryer filter is white, yellow, red, blue, green ...
it's really colorful.
How to utilize colorful dust in products.
When I was discussing with young employees, I came up with the idea that it would be interesting to see the colors from the outside if the container to be packed was made transparent, conscious of the fact that it would look good on SNS.
Furthermore, there is an opinion that it would be more eye-catching if multiple colors were combined instead of one color.
I decided to leave it to the young sensibility to decide which color to combine and pack.
Female employee
"We are particular about layering dust when viewed from the outside."
Mr. Fukuoka
"If I make it, it will be the color of my uncle, so I'll leave it to you."
This is the finished dust "igniter".
We started selling from February this year.
It is packed with 50 grams of dust that can be used for about 5 ignitions in a typical usage.
With the support of the outdoor boom, Fukuoka's aim was hit, and the products are gaining popularity mainly on SNS, and it is said that orders are being received one after another from all over the country.
An outdoor shop clerk
"Many people are paying attention to it. I think it's because the colors that you see at a glance are a taste that suits the tastes of young people today, and it's easy to see."
I was wondering how it would actually be used, so I asked the users to try it at a campsite facing the Seto Inland Sea.
My wife, who always ignites firewood, says that the outdoors are left to her hobby husband, picks up the product.
She said, "I was able to light the firewood for the first time. It's warm."
I want to make Imabari's "pride" and illuminate the dust on the towels that were just discarded.
This is Fukuoka's wish.
Mr. Fukuoka
"Originally" dust ", but it should not end with dust. I hope that the towel industry in this region, including these, will be a light for the future."
Reuse found at another towel factory
Efforts to reuse unnecessary items from factories.
As I continued to cover, other manufacturers were also making progress.
One of them is a 63-year-old manufacturer headquartered in Imabari City.
This company produces towels by reusing the "remaining thread" that is left over after weaving towels.
According to the manufacturer, in the production of towels, a large amount of thread of the color specified for each design is prepared, so the thread is inevitably left over.
The amount is about 6000 kilograms a year.
It is said that there are more than hundreds of colors.
This manufacturer has been producing towels using the remaining thread for about 20 years.
Now, by reusing 99% of it and reborn as a new product, we are reducing waste.
The person in charge of the towel maker in Imabari City who reused the "remaining thread" said as follows.
Takashi Kuwahara, Planning and Sales of a Towel Maker in Imabari City
"Since it uses the remaining threads of high-quality towels produced at the factory, the quality is as good as normal towels, and it is popular that the colors are mixed. Recently, due to the growing interest in environmental issues, the number of inquiries about towels using the remaining thread is increasing. "
By changing the perspective a little, we will connect the "troublesome things" that had to be discarded to other business opportunities.
The efforts we interviewed this time provided hints for protecting and developing important local industries.
I would like to continue to find and disseminate attractive ideas that support the local industry in Ehime.
NHK Matsuyama Broadcasting Station Ehime Insight
We dig deep into the news of Ehime.
Matsuyama Broadcasting Station Photographer
Atsushi Iwasaki
Joined in 1999
Worked in Ehime Prefecture from 2020
One of my hobbies is diving.
It's exciting to see corals and colorful tropical fish in the ocean